The potential inclusion of refugees in a new Turnbull government proposal to test the English skills of all permanent migrants settling in Australia has been met with early opposition from Labor and migrant groups.
Multiculturalism minister Alan Tudge has proposed a , possibly a custom-designed test focused on spoken English at a “primary-school level”.
The proposal is a pivot from the Coalition’s attempts last year to create a tougher, standalone English exam as part of the Australian citizenship test – which was ultimately defeated in the Senate.
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The new proposal would apply the test to the larger pool of people who apply for permanent residency, but the government appears to be willing to compromise on a lower level of “conversational” language skill.
Mr Tudge said the test would not apply to those older than 60, but suggested refugees would be included.
“It’s equally important for the humanitarian intake to learn English as anybody else,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Refugees often have little or no English when they arrive in Australia, unlike skilled migrants who are sponsored to work in the country.
It would be totally unreasonable to apply an English language test to Australia’s humanitarian program.
Labor’s shadow immigration minister Shayne Neumann said the party would consider the proposal when the details were released, but immediately indicated opposition to including refugees.
“It would be totally unreasonable to apply an English language test to Australia’s humanitarian program,” Mr Neumann said.
Mary Patetsos, chair of the ethnic community group FECCA, said the test would place a heavy burden on “vulnerable people such as women, older people and humanitarian entrants”.
“A great number of migrants, from European and many other countries, have arrived here with limited English skills but have contributed hugely to Australia as permanent residents and as citizens,” she said.
“It is a huge shift of immigration policy to prohibit spouses, other family and humanitarian entrants from taking up permanent residence unless they can pass an English test.”
Mr Tudge said migrants would not have to sit the test immediately on arrival in Australia, potentially giving them time to access the 510 hours of free English lessons already offered by the government to new arrivals.
“We are not suggesting to come into the country that you have to speak English,” Mr Tudge told Melbourne’s 3AW.
The government already requires English skills for some migrants, but it depends on the visa.
Those on skilled visas and student visas are already required to demonstrate language skills, but their spouses and families are not. The family reunion scheme and the humanitarian scheme for refugees do not have English requirements.
Mr Tudge said government data showed only 29 per cent of migrants granted permanent residency status last year had faced an English test.
Iraqi migrant Nabaz Al-Qadhi told SBS News he struggled with learning English because he came on a spousal visa, and did not have access to the government’s settlement services.
He said many refugees would find it “very difficult” to pass an English test.
But Abselom Nega, who came to Australia as a refugee from Ethiopia in the 1980s, said he supported Mr Tudge’s move.
“English was critical for my successful settlement that led me to go to university, acquire a qualification and then join the workforce,” he told SBS News.
The government has not settled on the details of the plan, and no draft legislation has been released yet.
